The Weekly Blog

Greer ’92 provides recipes to fight cancer

New book: The Anti-Breast Cancer Cookbook: How to Cut Your Risk With the Most Powerful, Cancer-Fighting Foods, by Julia B. Greer ’92 (Sunrise River Press)

The author: Greer is not only a physician and cancer researcher, but also a foodie. And she brings those interests together in her cookbooks. The author of The Anti-Cancer Cookbook: How to Cut Your Risk With the Most Powerful, Cancer-Fighting Foods, Greer is an epidemiologist whose work focuses on pancreatic, ovarian, and breast cancers. She is a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.

The book: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Greer discusses the prevalence, risk factors, and types of breast cancers as well as the role diet can play in reducing the risk of developing cancer and preventing a recurrence. She provides more than 200 recipes for main courses, sandwiches, breads, soups and salads, beverages, and desserts. The ingredients are heavy on antioxidants, which may reduce an individual’s risk of developing breast cancer.

From the book: “Anyone can get cancer. There is no single diet, food, or nutrient that will keep you from getting cancer. However, in the same way that wearing a seat belt might keep you from being injured in a car accident, eating certain types of food may help protect you from many cancers, including breast cancer.”

A recipe from Julia Greer ’92’s The Anti-Breast Cancer Cookbook:

Shrimp Étoufée

This delicious Creole dish is full of healthy vegetables and antioxidant spices. Serve it over brown rice, red rice, or couscous for a heavenly dinner.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached white flour

2 small yellow onions, diced

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced (about 1 cup)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)

3 celery stalks, finely diced

3 or 4 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 cups fresh tomatoes (plum or beefsteak), chopped

2 cups reduced-sodium, 99 percent fat-free chicken stock

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

1/8 teaspoon sea salt, freshly ground

1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 scallions, chopped

Preparation: Add oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot and place over medium heat. Warm about 1 minute. Whisk in flour to create a roux with the consistency of wet sand. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until roux takes on a lightly toasted aroma and has the color of peanut butter, about 14–22 minutes. Add onions, peppers, celery, and garlic; stir frequently so that mixture does not get lumpy. Increase heat to medium and sauté mixture, stirring often, about 10–12 minutes or until vegetables reduce. Stir in tomatoes, stock, parsley, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir in shrimp and simmer for another 6–8 minutes, until shrimp is just cooked through. Garnish with scallions. Makes 6 servings.